The following pages are pictures taken during our trip to Ashville, North Carolina on August 9th through 13th, 2004. We took a week off and drove down for a little R & R. We went to see the Biltmore Estates and go horseback riding. Jennifer also worked in a little training for work by visiting a very upscale Spa to get a facial. I could not pass up the opportunity to get a massage in such a nice spa, so I indulged myself.

We borrowed Matt Hortin's 99 Corvette just after we made all the upgrades, while the computer was still coping with the changes. Matt did not tell me that the battery kept going dead, so we had to push start the car a few times. Jennifer and I looked funny push starting a Corvette every place we stopped. One morning I could not get the car to start, so I wiggled the battery cable. On my next attempt to restart the car, the entire top of the battery blew off and flew over the hood of the car. I rushed to get water to dilute the acid that made it to the paint. Fortunately there were no damages done to anything other than the battery. I had the hotel shuttle take me over to a local shop to get a new battery.

Later that day, we were driving down the interstate with the top down when it started to rain. I pulled over and put the top up just in time to let a truck with a loose gas tank to pass. Yup, you guessed it. As I got back on the interstate, the trucks gas tank fell off and he started to drag it. Diesel fuel was spraying everywhere and was made worse by the rain. The wipers could not keep the fuel off the windshield.

Someone told us about sliding rock falls, so we went on the water fall tour. When we found it, it was clear that we were going to have a blast. I jumped right on the slops and began racing kids and other guys down the slope. It took a while, but Jennifer finally joined me.

Despite the problems that are typical with our trips, this was a great trip.